Sunderland
We are seeking a dedicated and innovative Head Chef to join our dynamic team! Why join us • Annual passes to enjoy any of our 21 venues., • Discounted food and exciting ARC days out., • Cycle to work scheme for a healthier commute., • Generous holiday allowance increasing with service up to 28 days., • Life assurance scheme for peace of mind., • Discretionary group annual bonus to reward your hard work. As the Head Chef you will oversee all back-of-house operations across our Sunderland and Newcastle Greyhound Stadium venues which includes managing kitchens snack bars and event catering. You will lead a diverse team of chefs trainees and kitchen porters ensuring the highest standards of food quality and compliance with health and safety regulations. This role requires a flexible work approach to support both race days and non-race day events with travel between sites being essential. Your responsibilities will include: • Budgeting & Purchasing: Work closely with the Catering & Operations Manager to ensure financial targets are met. You will monitor expenditure explain variances and ensure compliance with supplier agreements., • Stock & System Management: Manage the Indicater catering system for effective finance reporting stock control and menu planning. Regular stock takes and precise reporting will be key., • Food Safety & Compliance: Lead the implementation of our Food Safety Management System ensuring all legal and health regulations are adhered to across all units., • Menu & Quality Control: Ensure that all menu specifications are consistently followed maintaining high food quality and presentation while managing portion sizes to support cost targets., • Operations & Planning: Plan kitchen operations based on event needs managing the ordering and distribution of food and supplies efficiently., • Team Management & Training: Lead a team of chefs and kitchen staff allocating workloads managing absences and facilitating training and development opportunities., • Health & Safety: Uphold a safe working environment by ensuring compliance with all health and safety procedures., • Control labour costs and address budget deviations., • Improve staff recruitment and retention reducing reliance on agency staff., • Manage site spending and enhance food spend per head., • Maintain target food margins while ensuring full HACCP compliance., • Deliver high service standards and customer satisfaction., • Level 4 Food Management in Food Safety (Level 3 minimum)., • Level 3 HACCP and allergens qualification., • Proven experience in a Head Chef or senior Sous Chef role within a high-quality fast-paced environment., • Strong leadership and team management capabilities., • Thorough understanding of HACCP nutrition and allergen compliance., • Proficient in purchasing systems and kitchen management software., • Exceptional communication skills and a systematic approach to operations. If you have a disability that requires reasonable adjustments please let us know; we will ensure that individuals with additional needs are provided reasonable adjustments to participate in the job application or interview process and to perform essential job functions. We understand the value that diversity brings to our business and we are striving to create a working environment that is inclusive psychologically and physically safe and ensures everyone can be heard and valued for their contributions. We are committed to making a consistent top-down effort to be role models on what diversity inclusion and belonging means in society. Closing Date Key Skills Culinary Experience,Food Handling,Restaurant Experience,Kitchen Management Experience,Food Preparation Experience,Kitchen Experience,Food Industry,Cooking,Cost Control,Baking,Sanitation,Leadership Experience Employment Type : Full-Time Experience: years Vacancy: 1